New Hampshire in the Morning

Things Your IPhone Does That You May Not Know About

Posted on August 25, 2014 by nealw

I’ve had my iPhone for years now and it seems like every month or two I learn something different that the phone can do. I learned that it has a built in level, among other cool things, here is a list of a few we found.

Tired of Siri pronouncing things wrong? Next time she screws something up, tell her “That’s not how you pronounce X,” and then pronounce it for her. She’ll give it another try, and offer you a few options for how she now thinks she’s supposed to pronounce the word. Pick the one that sounds the best, and Siri will use that pronunciation from now on.

Level Up Need a level for a quick DIY project at home? The compass app on your iPhone has one built in. To use it, open up the compass app on your phone, and then swipe to the left to pull up the level screen.

Give Better Vibrations

You’re not limited to the same vibration for everything. Go into the Settings of your phone and then select Sounds, Vibration, and then Create New Vibration to tap out your own buzzing pattern. You can name your creation and then use it as a vibration alert for anything you’d like. For instance, you could have one vibration pattern to signal that you’ve received a text and another for tweets or emails. Once you’ve implemented your own secret code, you won’t need to pull your phone out of your pocket nearly as much.

Control Your Camera With Your Headphones

Arms not quite long enough to get the whole family into that selfie? Use your earbuds as a remote shutter button for your iPhone’s camera. Simply launch the camera as normal, set up your shot, and then press the volume-up button to snap a photo.

Block Calls From Your ExTired of constant calls from your ex or a persistent telemarketer? Block calls from a specific number by clicking the “i” button beside their most recent call or pulling up their contact card in your phone, and selecting Block This Caller from the bottom of the page. Once blocked, you will no longer see texts or calls from that person. If you make up later on, you can unblock their number by going to Settings, Phone, and then Blocked, and removing them from your list.

Juice Up FasterHave only a few minutes to charge your phone before heading out on the town? Put it in airplane mode to make it power up twice as fast. Since your phone won’t have to use any juice to search for and connect to a wireless tower or a Wi-Fi network, it can concentrate on getting charged up. (Airplane mode is also a great way to stretch that last 5 percent of battery life.)

Remind Yourself to Buy Toilet PaperThe iPhone will allow you to create a geofence around a particular location, and send you a reminder whenever you pass through its virtual gates. For instance, a fence around your local grocery store can remind you to pick up some TP while you shop, or a fence at the office can be the nudge you need to remember to pass along that project file you keep forgetting. Set up a geofence by going into your phone’s Reminders app, create a reminder, and then tap the “i” beside it. Select “Remind me at a location” from the next page, and then add the address where you’d like to receive a notification and whether you’d like to get it as you’re arriving at the place, or as you’re about to leave.